1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and an image processing method for processing an image of a subject.
2. Description of the Related Art
An optical coherence tomography (hereinafter, referred to as OCT) in which multi-wavelength interference is employed can provide a high-resolution tomographic image of a sample (especially, an eye fundus).
In recent years, on an ophthalmologic OCT device, a polarization OCT image that images by using a polarization parameter (retardation and orientation), which is one of optical characteristics of the eye fundus tissue, is acquired in addition to an ordinary OCT image that images a shape of an eye fundus tissue.
In polarization OCT, a polarization OCT image is formed by using the polarization parameter, and differentiation and segmentation of the eye fundus tissue can be performed. In the polarization OCT, the polarization OCT image is generated by using a light, which is modulated into circular polarization, as a measuring light for observing the sample, and by dividing and detecting an interfering light as two linear polarization lights orthogonal to each other (see WO2010/122118A1). Note, however, that in the above-described literature, nothing is disclosed about a diagnostic assistance and, more specifically, about an ease of reading an eye fundus image and an ease of comparing images, which are an original object of the polarization OCT.